40 Under 40: Part IV

From cybersecurity solutions to leasing massage chairs, our next set of 40 Under 40 honorees are disrupting just about every industry. Read their stories below and then come party up to help us celebrate their achievements on Feb. 12. 

Ryan Healy
Brazen Careerist

Ryan Healy, 30, is founder and president of Brazen Careerist, an SaaS-based mobile event platform that lets employers like Raytheon, Deloitte and KPMG host mobile meetups and hiring events. Universities like Dartmouth, Georgetown and Penn State use it to host mobile events to attract and engage alumni, students and prospective students. Its 22 employees have beat quarterly projections and have seen 40% quarterly revenue growth. The company, which has raised $6M, recently launched a new version of its platform and signed new customers like Amtrak, AT&T, Parsons, NYU and Cal Berkeley. 

What you didn’t know about Ryan:

• He grew up in Seattle and New England (Connecticut), making this year’s Super Bowl a little confusing. Thankfully the team he decided to root for won. 

• He met his wife through a blog.

• He was interviewed by Morley Safer on 60 Minutes when he was 23 and was terrified.

•  He’s a huge fan of Gladiator (the movie). 

• He hates the sound of nails being filed. 

Hemang Gadhia and Christopher Brown
Revmetrix

Hemang Gadhia, 38, and Christopher Brown, 33, started Revmetrix a year ago to help retailers transform their massive silos of data into insights about customer behavior. The insight helps create better engagement with customers. The nine-person company expects to hit a seven-figure run rate this year and will add three or four to its headcount immediately. All this before the company has even launched its SaaS solution, which debuts in two weeks. Before joining forces, Hemang launched Condaptive, which was acquired by Millennial Media in 2011. Chris co-founded TapMetrics, which was acquired by Millennial Media in 2010. 

What you didn’t know about Hemang and Chris:

• After leaving Millennial, Hemang and his family went on a yearlong trip around the world, covering 28 countries and immersing themselves in local culture. 

• Hemang was a “debate geek” during his teen years and sadly peaked at age 17 when he won the National Championship in Model UN. 

• Hemang says his best decision ever was to take French in high school. His French is terrible, but that's where he met his wife.  

• Chris lived in Japan and has a high standard for sushi.

• Chris completed two deployments to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

• When he isn’t working, he’s at a soccer game supporting the US National Teams or DC United. 

Abigail Seldin
ECMC Group

Abigail Seldin, 27, was co-founder and CEO of College Abacus, the “Kayak.com of college financial aid,” up until last summer when she sold it to ECMC Group, a nonprofit in Minnesota that operates one of the largest student loan guaranty agencies in the US. She’s now innovation and product management VP at ECMC, where she runs the ECMC Innovation Lab, a seven-person group based in DC. The team continues to enhance CollegeAbacus.org, a free online tool to compare personalized financial aid estimates at over 4,000 colleges, and work on other technologies to change the way Americans manage student debt.

What you didn’t know about Abigail:

• She’s studied seven languages and has nearly forgotten five of them.

• She refuses to check luggage, so she’s learned to pack for two weeks in a carry-on.

• She needs an astonishing 9-plus hours of sleep. 

• She rarely passes a day without chatting with (at least) one family member.

• She adores science fiction. 

Raj Bhaskar
Hurdlr

Raj Bhaskar, 37, used the proceeds from a company he exited a few years ago to start developing Hurdlr in 2012. The mobile app, expected to release later this year, will help solopreneurs and freelancers manage their finances, including business expenses, payments and tax planning. Raj says the app, which has a team of seven people, is already connected to leading banks and credit card companies. Raj’s previous company--a rental and real estate management platform for affordable housing--was sold to Yardi in 2010.

What you didn’t know about Raj:

• He’s a DC area native, who grew up in Silver Spring and Bethesda. 

• He had various cash-only businesses from grades 5-12, like selling sodas at golf tournaments and car detailing. 

• He did a Tough Mudder last year with his co-founder and friends (all in their 20s), followed by three months of rehab.

• He once MC’d a sold-out dance competition at Constitution Hall.

• He’s an angel investor, who’s funded over 30 startups, but insists he's now 100% focused on his new venture.